The relationship between love and hatred in Othello (Book Review Sample)

Student Name Course Code Institution Affiliate Date The relationship between love and hatred in Othello Affection and hatred (two sides of the same coin) love brings with it an exponentially wide range of emotions. These emotions can all illustrate themselves in one time or another. Among the emotions that come with love as illustrated by Shakespeare is hatred. Walter Raleigh ones stated that hatred is the cinder of affection. Whenever an individual can find feelings of hate towards someone with whom they have an affection for, it is because they truly have a love for them. It is for the same case we see that Othello has too much hate towards Desdemona as illustrated in the play ‘Othello'. In act III, Iago is seen to plant the thoughts in the mind of Othello that Desdemona (the wife to Othello) is having an affair with Cassio. Additionally, just like hate, love is also considered to be an evil passion that should, in a better world, either be controlled or tamed. In the play, acts of violence are found in numerous ways, either mentally, verbally or physically. Nevertheless, from the tragic play, we do learn on how envy and jealousy can overpower an individual's mind hence resulting in causing havoc on others' lives. The story doesn't only provide different examples of violence; it also shows how loving one can result in the same. The relation between love and hatred in the play by William Shakespeare's "Othello" is that the play illustrates to the society the ugly feeling of jealousy and the transformations accompanied by it. The feeling of jealousy can take on the fluctuating amounts of destructive behaviors. Iago, Othello, and Roderigo are both paralyzed because of jealousy. Their behaviors, thoughts, and actions are all ruled by their emotions. As seen jealousy resulted in their inability to act rationally, the latter resulted in the three becoming paranoid and unable to love. In the play, Shakespeare exemplifies the adoring and often mistaken emotions of hate and love. For instance, in the play by Shakespeare, Othello's strong affection towards Desdemona illustrates love. Irrespective of Othello's desire for Desdemona, the love Othello has for Desdemona hastily turns to hate once he is convinced by Iago that Desdemona is likely to be having an affair with Michael Cassio. Othello's unpredictable character lays emphasis on how easily love can transform to hate. Being both the emotions are but a manifestation of deep needs not exaggerated by logic, hate and love are depicted to be substitutable all through the play. For example, when Othello loses his sentiments, the author states that his unhinged jealousy manifests to hate. As his strong passions refuse to fade away, Othello changes the direction towards hate when he heartlessly kills his adored Desdemona. Generally, both emotions in the play are represented as inconsistent, unpredictable expressions of passion; the duo can be interchanged easily and they are in no way associated with rationality. The sudden change from love to hate is also seen to be imposed on the characters Roderigo and Iago, just like Othello we also see that their hatred results to the death of those who are innocent. Roderigo's love for Desdemona is hastily changed to hate in the direction of any male figure he perceives to be loved by Desdemona. Further, the author also illustrates the transition of love to hate, stating that the love Iago had for both his wife (Emilia) and that he had for his job changes into a negative revulsion of Othello and Cassio. Due to hate Emilia and Cassio loses their lives. The affair between Emilia and Iago is seen not to be one of the strong equal ties as one would expect it to be existing between couples. Emilia is seen to love Iago and she aims at making a success of their marriage. The latter goes to an extent of stealing a handkerchief, Emilia goes to such extent in order to see to it that Iago is happy and perhaps through this, she hopes that their relationship can be strengthened. This seen when she says that "I'll have the work ta'en out, and give't: what he will do with it, Heaven knows, not I; I nothing but to please his family." Instead of loving Emilia back, Iago is seen to treat Emilia as a tool; he only cares for her in as much as she is of value to him. Iago neither has a desire nor the capability of being in love with someone else. However, when Emilia exposes his schemes, she is killed by Iago without hesitating for a moment an incident that shock those who witness such a tragedy: "The woman falls; sure he hath killed his wife." In the first scene, we see that Othello opens a discussion between Roderigo (Desdemona's disappointed suitor), and Iago, regarding an incident where Othello is referred to as the chief agent. Desdemona and Othello having eloped leaves Rodrigo distressed and disappointed. He later complains that Iago had not alerted him on the matter to prevent the wedding from happening. Nonetheless, Iago (even though there is a close bond between him and Othello), protests that he had not dreamt of such a matter, he implies that the matter just like any other person was a surprise to him. Othello's attachment to Desdemona explains the reason as to why he has not been appointed as the new lieutenant to Othello, a post that is later given to Cassio. Nevertheless, according to Iago, he thinks that the post had been given to Cassio given the two (Desdemona and Othello) are close to one another. From this, the author illustrates that it is from this point Iago declares his hatred to the duo. The sudden change from love to hatred makes Iago associate himself with Roderigo all in an attempt to harass Othello, and if he isn't late to prevent Othello's marriage from taking place. In the second act scene, one Othello says to Desdemona, "it gives me wonder great as my content to see you here before me. O my soul's joy!" and "if it were now to die, "Twere now to be most happy". Othello then implies that before he met Desdemona his life he described being in chaos. The author also states that Othello seems to be insecure as to why Desdemona has gone to an extent of doing against her father's wishes of marrying him. In Act III scene ii Othello makes attempts in putting his doubts to rest that given Desdemona is virtuous and compassionate in nature, it is possible for her to love him. Nevertheless, the doubts resurface when with his insecurity becoming much stronger ones Iago tells him about Desdemona infidelity. His insecurity and the reaffirmations made by Iago about Desdemona's infidelity give birth to Othello's hatred towards Desdemona. Othello appointing Cassio as a lieutenant appeared to be a choice based on his personal preference. Besides, Othello couldn't give a reason as to why he had chosen Cassio. His bitter resentment and suspicion soon turn Iago into an unshakable but very surreptitious enemy. Iago sees that if Othello is able to perform such gross violation of all the military practices and rules then he can no longer trust him, it is through this that the confidence between the two virtually stops to exist and that Iago can no longer hope for the same previous relationship to continue. Rewarding Cassio with a military position being he was close to both Othello and Desdemona. Roderigo is also not happy for Othello being he has married Desdemona. It is only until Iago convinces Roderigo that Othello isn't loved by Desdemona that he becomes unhelpful, Iago then is seen saying that: "it cannot be that Desdemona should long continue her love to the Moore…she must change for youth: when she is sated with his body, she will find the error of her choice," Roderigo then wages Iago for his deceitful optimism that one day he will marry Desdemona. As he believes to be getting closer to her, he is told by Iago that the two being together might not happen to be Desdemona is already in love with another person, Cassio. Roderigo is then significantly angered by what he is told by Iago; he then resents to doing what he thinks will stop Cassio from having Desdemona even if it will cost him his life. However, his attempts of taking away Roderigo's life all fall in vain with him getting hurt instead. Roderigo is then no longer obsessed with the thought of marrying Desdemona. Rather we see that he is consumed with the state of mind towards others close to Desdemona. Shakespeare in his usual manner brings out an open conflict between Iago and Othello. The conflict as illustrated is between two men who had previously been very good friends, among the two friends, one is the most trusted officer while on the other hand, the other is described to be a great general. There exists evidence in the play, showing the previous existence of confidence between Iago and Othello. The author also states in the play that the two had sterling characters and excellent abilities. Othello is referred to as a noble Moor, one who has attained the highest position while in the military, for this reason, he must have much confidence in both the Senate and the state. Iago is also said to be a noble-minded and an upright man who had earned himself the epithet of honesty. Nevertheless, Iago who is referred to as honest becomes the mortal adversary of the noble ‘Moor'. The resentfully wonderful relationship between Desdemona and Othello is seen to turn to a disaster. As they two characters appear at the beginning of the play, in act one and two, both the heroine and the hero signifies a meeting of two minds, irrespective of their racial, social and cultural background. Othello loves Desdemona because of her feminine sympathy and grace, while on the other han...